Tuesday, March 6, 2007

Buyer’s Typical Closing Costs

Depending on where you live, the price of your home, your lender’s terms, the
distribution of fees charged to buyer and/or seller, and other factors, your
closing costs on the purchase of a home may range anywhere between 3% and 7% of
the home price, sometimes more or less.



Typical buyers’ closing charges include:

  • Loan origination fee, usually 1% of your mortgage amount

  • Discount point (or points), each usually 1% of your mortgage amount

  • Assumption fee (if you assume the seller’s old mortgage)

  • Title search fee

  • Lender’s title insurance fee

  • Owner’s title insurance fee (optional, but advisable)

  • Survey fee (if applicable)

  • Two fees that may have been paid when you applied for your loan:

    • Appraisal fee

    • Credit report fee





  • Lender’s inspection fee

  • Recording fees

  • Prepaid interest on your mortgage, covering the time between settlement
    and the first regular monthly payment

  • Prepaid mortgage insurance premium

  • Property tax, possible reimbursement to seller and/or payment on future
    taxes

  • Assessment, possible 1-to-3-month local improvement charge or
    association fee (especially applicable to condominium buyers)

  • Lawyer’s fees (if applicable)


Your lender must, by law, supply you with a pre-settlement "Good Faith
Estimate." It will not necessarily identify all actual costs. At settlement,
however, you receive a "Settlement Statement" that contains all the specific
actual charges.



Since occasional unexpected costs may surface at settlement, it is well to be
prepared for possible $200 or $300 in extras at your closing. Extra costs
usually involve partial payments for items you had not previously considered
but, at closing, wish to pay for: fuel oil left in the seller’s tank, firewood,
continuation of lawn service, or the purchase of a major appliance.



Since actual costs vary, call or e-mail us for typical figures in your area.
Your calls and e-mails are always welcome.

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